Human Factor
by Pekenota14
Summary: Five years later, how does Beckett sees her life? What has changed? Single chapter.


**My Goodness, it has been 8 MONTHS since I last posted a Castle fanfiction here! I missed this feeling SO much! hahaha**

**Well, I hope you guys like it.**

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"Ugh!" Beckett groaned, cleaning the wet cheek. "Castle…" Her voice then was only a whisper, more like a morning disapproving comment.

She rubbed the eyes leisurely while stretching the body. The bed was in a big mess but somehow she still had a little of the bed sheets covering her legs. She could hear a little noise coming from the kitchen. When she looked to her side she saw their Labrador dog lying down next to her, panting with his big tongue out of its mouth.

The dog looked ready to give her another lick on the face. "No, Sherlock, no licking!" Beckett kicked back the bed sheet and sat on the edge of the bed. "I should know by now that Castle always leaves the bedroom door open…" She said looking at the dog.

The dog licked the snout and curled up again.

"No, no no. Out, Sherlock." Beckett got up and started clapping her hands, obliging the dog to get up. "Come on, you're not staying here. I don't like you in bed; you leave dog hair all over the bed sheets!"

Once putting the dog out of the bedroom, she closed the door behind her. A smile took over her lips.

"Mommy!" Baby Andy enthusiastically babbled as soon as he saw Kate, hitting with the baby bottle on the tray of the high chair.

Castle looked back and smiled, but then, he looked at the stove again, finishing cooking the pancakes. She passed by the TV seeing the paused game screen and a game controller left over the couch. She walked to the two of them, picking up in arms their eighteen-months-old baby.

"Hi baby." She put a loud kiss on his cheek. "How are you, my little?" Andy babbled something things that made Kate smile even more. "Here," Beckett sat him back on the high chair, putting the baby bottle on his hands again. "keep on drinking your milk." Beckett left another kiss, this time on her son's brownish hairs and then leaned to Castle, putting a slow kiss on his lips. "I've told you to keep the door closed. I don't want Sherlock sleeping in the bed!"

"Wow, a kiss and a reprimand!"

"If you'd do things right, I wouldn't have to scold you in the morning!"

He pecked her lips again and laughed. "Well, will at least my breakfast exempt me from further scolding?"

"As long as it is a normal breakfast and not one of your inventions again!" Beckett teased sitting on the stool and resting the elbows on the counter.

"I let you know that I love my smorelettes!"

"Only you like the smorelettes, the pancakakes and the waanfles no-one else's, Castle!"

"You know, I don't care," He said while pouring a mug of coffee for her and putting in front of her. "more for me! But I'm sure when Andy grows up a little more, he'll love my cooking!"

"There is _no_ way I'm letting you feed that to our child!"

"Why not? Alexis tried all kind of my breakfast inventions and she's fine!"

"You want to do experiments, you try them on Sherlock!" She said pointing to the dog at the bottom of the stairs.

"Understood." He spoke defeated leaning on the counter right in front of her. "Uhm, Mrs. O'Keefe called early this morning. She said that tomorrow the kindergarten will reopen again now that the kids are all okay."

Beckett swallowed the food she had on the mouth and added. "I just don't really know how Andy didn't get chickenpox too."

Seeing that the baby had finished the milk, he picked him up saying. "Well, he's as strong and healthy as me. Nothing shakes him down, isn't it?" Castle started then playing with his son. "You're a big strong buddy!"

Kate suppressed a laugh, saying. "As strong and healthy as you? Last night you were a pain in the ass, not letting me taking that wood splinter of your thumb!"

"Well, it was spiked between my flesh and my nail and it really hurt!" He said in his defense, but it only made her laugh a little.

Castle picked up the empty baby bottle, trying to wash it while holding his son.

"Give him to me; you can't do anything with him on your arms." Beckett got up and took the baby from his arms, sitting again while still eating.

She was still finishing the breakfast when her cellphone rang. "Rick, can you go get it please?"

"Sure."

He picked it up in the bedroom and when he returned to the kitchen he only handed her the phone.

"Who was it?"

"It was Esposito; he said today you have the day off." She rolled the eyes, wanting him to tell him the truth. "He said he and Ryan found Jack Stoner and a unity is bringing him to the precinct."

"If we get him to talk everything, we close the case real soon. Then I have some other paperwork to take care of, but I think I'll leave a little earlier today. Maybe we could go to the park."

"That's a good idea. But I just don't understand: you are the Captain for over three years, why do you still solve cases?"

"Because I don't patience to stay sitting on a desk just giving orders and permission to others!" She got up putting baby Andy on Castle's arms and her dishes on the sink. "I'll get dress, and get Andy dressed up too, please. No walking around in his jammies all day!"

Beckett walked to their bedroom to get dressed and Castle followed her to get their son dressed up too. "Then we pass by the precinct and when you're ready we leave to the park, alright?"

"Alright. What you two will be doing all day?"

"First we'll end that level of the game we were playing, isn't it bud?" He asked the kid who giggled excited. "And then we may even-"

"No! No laser tag!"

"Okay, fine!"

Castle put his son down on the floor and he walked to the living room, to play with the dog. Since he learnt that the dog would catch and return a ball if he'd throw it, he loves to do it.

Beckett picked up her phone, put a kiss on her son and another on Castle and was ready to leave, but he held her wrist.

"Come here. You didn't kiss me properly."

The two exchanged another kiss but she noticed _that_ look on his eyes. "Ask me what you want. Unless it is permission to play laser tag with Andy because that's still a no!"

"I was just wondering, Gates left the precinct five years ago, we got married, and only a little after that you became the new Captain of the 12th. Have you wondered what now might be like if you had taken that job in DC five years ago?"

"Everything would be different, for sure. I'd be completely lonely, without feeling what's like to have a family and friends or a home."

"You know, you never really explained me very well why did you refuse that job offer." He asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Beckett sighed and enlaced her arms around his neck, explaining. "I became a cop because of what happened to my mom and, from there, all I want is to protect those without a voice and with that job for the Attorney General, I might be helping people in a much bigger way. But I know that most of all, my mom wanted me to be happy. And right here, at the Homicides in New York, I'm happy and I still protect and serve the people of the city where I grew up."

After what he heard he only smiled, kissing her again. "This is why I love you."

"I guess I couldn't live without you, really."

"That was actually sweet."

"Are you saying I don't tell you sweet things?" She pretended to be upset.

"Well, mostly you're just scolding me!"

"That's because you are like a nine-year-old!" She put a quick kiss on his lips and opened the door to leave. Before going she took a couple of steps behind, saying. "And, Castle? Laser tag is still a no!"

"If we play, you'll never know!"

She rolled the eyes and laughed, closing the door.

She was sure that refusing that job offer five years ago was indeed the best decision she made. She never pictured her life being like these five years later, but she was more than happy with the aftermath.

Here she found happiness, the comfort of a home and the heartwarming feeling of family and friends around. She really wanted to change history, but right here, and she has too many human factors that hold her here.

She didn't need to go any further; she found her place to make her stand.

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A very useful terminology of made-up words!

Pancakake – Pancakes + Omelets

Waanfles – Pancakes + Waffles

**Please review, I miss reading a Castle related review! Besides, I want to know if you liked it!**


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